A New Shade Of Power
by Ghostwriter
Summary: HISB There's a new girl in town and Rita and Zedd have something up their sleeves.
1. Red In Danger Pt 1

A NEW SHADE OF POWER

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

This is the revised version of "A Different Shade Of Power", so any shout outs in the previous story will be deleted. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. Some things are the same as the original Kat arch, but I'll try to make most of it different.

Jason and Tommy did an intricate kata in Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar.

"Man, you know, I never thought a relative of Rita's could be tough," Jason commented.

"I didn't even think she **had** a relative," Tommy quipped. They laughed.

"I'm just glad we were able to keep Rito from destroying our zords," Jason said.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Tommy agreed. As the kata continued, so did the conversation. Both were unaware of Rita who was spying on them from the moon palace.

"Enjoying your victory, eh, boys? Well, enjoy it while it lasts, because after the little surprise Zeddy and I have cooked up for you, you won't be doing much of anything. Especially **you**, Red Ranger," she cackled. Soon, the world would be all hers. Back at the youth center, Tommy and Jason had finished their kata. Jason checked his watch.

"I gotta go before I'm late for my shift," he said.

"Bye, man," Tommy said and they started to part. A tall, blonde girl came in.

"Excuse me, could I get some help? You see, my car broke down and I'm new here and I haven't met anyone yet," she said in an Australian accent.

"I can help you out," Jason offered.

"That'd be great, thanks," she sighed.

"Let me just call my boss and tell him I'm going to be a little late," he said.

"Of course," she nodded. She nodded and headed outside. Jason touched his communicator.

"Bulk, Skull, I'm helping someone out with their car. Could you guys tell Lt. Stone I'm gonna be a little late?" he requested.

"Will do," Skull replied. At the precinct, they walked up to the Lieutenant.

"What can I do for you gentleman?" Lt. Stone asked.

"Jason called, said that he was helping someone out with their car and that'd he be a little late," Bulk told him.

"All right. Thank you, gentleman," Lt. Stone nodded. "All right, let's get started." With that, they headed out. Jason walked out the door, following the girl.

"Who was that?" Kimberly asked.

"I don't know," Tommy replied. Outside, Jason put some wires back together and then told the girl to start it. She did so and grinned as the sound of the engine revving filled the air.

"Thanks a million," she exclaimed, getting out of the car and throwing her arms around him.

"Ha, ha. No problem," he said, returning the hug briefly before pulling away. Then, "Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave?"

"Um, actually, do you know where I can get anything to eat?"

"Yeah, right inside." They walked in. "Oh, by the way, I'm Jason," he told her.

"I'm Katherine, but everyone calls me Kat," she stated. _Wow. He's so cute_, she thought to herself.

"Yo, Jase! You want your usual?" Ernie asked.

"No thanks, Ernie. I gotta get going," Jason responded.

"Jase, who's this?" Tommy wondered. Kat looked at him. _He's kind of cute. But not as cute as Jason_, she thought to herself. _Now if I can just get Jason to stay long enough for Empress Rita to make her move_, she continued to herself.

"This is Kat," Jason answered. "Kat, these are my friends Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Zack, Trini, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha," he continued.

"Hi. It's very nice to meet you all," she told them. The others walked over to the counter, no one noticing the sudden flash of orange-ish red in Kat's eyes. **Good Kitty. Now get the Red Ranger out of there**, she heard her Empress' voice say. The girl gave an imperceptible nod. Katherine looked at her watch, and gasped.

"Oh, dear. I'm going to be late," she worried. "I better get going." She bit her lip. "But I'm not sure I know how to get there," she admitted.

"What's your address?" Jason asked. She told him. "I can take you if you want." Tommy snickered and Kimberly smacked him.

"That'd be great, thanks." They walked out.

"Aw, man. I better get home. Mom needs me to babysit," Rocky said. The others made similar statements, and each left the youth center. As they drove down the street, Kat smiled. **He's all yours, Empress**, she stated. With an evil cackle, Rita pointed her wand at Earth and electricity came down and enveloped the car, which disappeared and then reappeared in a vortex of fog.

"WHOA! What the-" Jason started to ask. _What are Rita and Zedd up to now?_ he wondered.

"Jason, what's going on? I'm scared," Katherine said, grabbing his arm and leaning into him.

"It'll be all right, Kat," he said. He turned the wheel as if to steer it. _What am I doing?_ he wondered. This vortex wasn't going to lead anywhere. Then, as the fog drifted up, Jason felt himself growing sleepy.

"Wha-wha-what's going-" the question trailed off as his eyes closed. Katherine chuckled as Rita appeared.

"Nice work, Kitty," she sneered, and then zapped Jason, causing him to disappear from the vortex and reappear in the palace's dungeon. Jason moaned and his body sprawled out on the floor.


	2. Red In Danger Pt 2

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. The Katherine arc belongs to them, but the differences are mine.

Jason slowly opened his eyes. _Where am I?_ he wondered. Seeing his surroundings, he quickly sat up, which proved to be a mistake. _Man, have I got a headache_, he thought to himself.

"Well, look who's finally awake," a voice sneered. Jason jumped up and lunged at Zedd. Or, at least, he tried to. However, he found that he had been chained to the wall, which prevented him from reaching the evil monarch.

"Zedd! Where's Katherine! What have you done with her?" Zedd just laughed at the question.

"If I were you, Red Ranger, I'd worry less about your new-found friend and more about yourself," he sneered. Then, he shot a blast of electricity from his staff, which hit the Red Ranger. He groaned and stumbled back. Zedd laughed again. The Red Ranger was completely at his mercy. He loved it. Bulk and Skull were at their assigned location.

"Hey, Bulkie, shouldn't Jason have been here by now?" Skull asked.

"Yeah, he should've been," Bulk nodded, his eyes clouding with worry. This didn't make sense. Jason had worked hard to get where he was. He wouldn't just bail on his first day.

"I think we better call the Command Center," Skull suggested.

"Yeah." Bulk pressed the 'talk' button.

"Have you guys seen Jason? He said he was going to be a little late coming here, but he should've been here by now," he said.

"We are aware of the situation, Bulk, and will contact the Rangers," Zordon stated. In the Command Center, Zordon and Alpha had seen what had happened in the vortex on the viewing globe.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Poor Jason!" Alpha exclaimed.

"Alpha, contact the Rangers right away," Zordon instructed. The robot did so, and moments later, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Zack, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were in the Command Center.

"What's the emergency, Zordon?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, and how come Jason isn't here?" Adam wondered.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi! Jason **is** the emergency!" Alpha told them.

"What do you mean?" Billy asked.

"Rangers, behold the viewing globe." They did so and saw what had transpired.

"Where did Rita send him?" Aisha asked in concern.

"And what does she plan to do with or to Katherine?" Zack added.

"I'm sorry, Rangers. We don't know the answer to either question," Alpha responded.

"Can we get to Jason by locking onto his communicator?" Rocky suggested.

"Yeah, that's what Billy did when he was stuck in the Dark Dimension," Kimberly added.

"It's worth a shot, but it may take some time," Billy responded.

"Billy, hurry," Aisha encouraged as he began to work the controls. Back in the palace, Jason struggled against his bonds as Zedd advanced. _I can't believe this is happening_, he thought to himself. He had to get free!

"I've been waiting for this moment a long time, Red Ranger. And now there will be one less Ranger for me to contend with." Jason tensed as the end of Zedd's staff was placed under his chin. Electricity began to flow up the staff.


	3. Red In Danger Pt 3

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own most of the plot.

Jason's breathing hitched as he felt the electricity rise up the staff. He groaned softly, but otherwise made no sound. He wouldn't give Zedd the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. Just then, he heard footsteps.

"Well, Zeddy my dear, everything's-what are you doing!" Jason watched as Rita stepped into the dungeon.

"What does it look like, my Putrid Pumpkin? I'm getting rid of a bothersome Ranger," Zedd answered.

"Zeddy, you know I want to get rid of him as badly as you do, but I think you're forgetting that he's supposed to be our bargaining chip," Rita stated. _Besides, if anyone's going to destroy the Power Rangers, it's going to be __**me**__! I can't wait to get rid of this chrome-plated freak_, she thought to herself. _What? Bargaining chip for what?_ Jason wondered. However, he kept his mouth shut. Zedd let out a low growl.

"Of course. You're right," he said. Jason let out an inaudible breath. Thank goodness. "But that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with him!" Without warning, a jolt of electricity hit him and he groaned as Zedd and Rita laughed.

"No," he said. _Let this stop. Please_, he thought to himself. Back in the Command Center, the others waited anxiously.

"Billy, have you had any luck?" Tommy wondered.

"Negative. I can't get a lock on him," Billy responded. "Although, the scans **have** shown that Zedd and Rita are looking for something," he continued.

"Oh, where could he be?" Kimberly wondered.

"Don't worry, Kim. We'll get him back," Tommy assured. Then, "Looking for something. What?"

"Heck if I know," Billy answered. "But if Rita or Zedd gets their hand on it, something tells me we won't like it," he continued.

"We better figure out what they're looking for-fast. And get Jason back," Trini said.

"And we still have to find Katherine," Rocky reminded them. Bulk and Skull's first assignment was to mark illegally parked cars.

"I wish Jason was here."

"Yeah, I hope he's okay." Back in the Lunar Palace, Rita and Zedd cackled.

"What do you say we have fun with the other Rangers?" Rita suggested.

"Yes. We can send down a monster," Zedd agreed.

"I'll have Finster get started," Rita stated, and then they left. Jason struggled against his bonds. Rita went to Finster, who was working in his lab.

"Finster, I want you to make me and Zedd a monster-and it better be nasty," she told him.

"You're in luck, my Queen. I've been working on a monster for a while now. Page 155," he responded. She picked up the book and flipped through the pages. When she saw the monster, her face lit up in glee.

"Finster! You're using that! I haven't seen it in a millennium! I love it!" she told him.

"It'll be in the Monster-Matic shortly," the dog-eared monster promised. She cackled and walked back to the front of their palace.

"What has you so happy, Rita?" Zedd wondered. _Whatever it is, it must be pretty nasty to get this effect_, he thought to himself.

"Finster's making the most wonderful and terrible monster! Oh, the damage it can cause!" Rita answered, causing Goldar, Scorpina, and Rito to hurry towards them.

"What's going on?" Rito wondered.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense, Rita. What is Finster making?" Zedd wondered. There was a small explosion and the two turned around. To Zedd's surprise, a black fierce-looking warrior holding a glowing golden sword stood before them.

"The Garrison Knight! I **love** it! Send him down! Send him down!" he ordered excitedly. It was done as Rita, Finster, Goldar, and Scorpina all shared a smug smile. In the Command Center, Trini and Aisha gasped.

"Guys, look!" Aisha exclaimed. The others turned to the globe.

"It's morphin' time!" Tommy called. "Tigerzord!"

"Drago!"

"Stega!"

"Brachio!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"  
"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" As the Rangers fought the monster in downtown Angel Grove, in Rita and Zedd's dungeon, Jason struggled against his bonds.

"I wouldn't struggle very hard, Jason. You're bound by magic." The Red Ranger looked up to see Goldar.

"Let me out of here, you gold goon!" he shouted. He cackled. However, to Jason's surprise, he **did** make the shackles disappear. The Ranger fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Come and get me, Little Red Ranger," he taunted. Jason quickly checked for his Power Morpher, but just like when he had been trapped in the Dark Dimension, it was gone. Goldar laughed harder and held something up.

"Looking for this?" he sneered. "Or how about **this**?" he continued, holding up something else. _No_, Jason thought, his hand instinctively going for his wrist. However, his communicator, like his Power Morpher, was in the hands of Goldar.

"Come and get them, Ranger," Goldar dared. Jason stood up and lunged at the creature. The human was knocked back. Jason quickly came to his feet again. Goldar conjured his sword. Jason tensed. _Okay, this is feeling familiar, _he thought.

"You won't escape this time, Jason," the monster sneered. For an answer, Jason gave out a karate yell, jumped through the air, and kicked Goldar, knocking him back.

"I want my Power Morpher and communicator, **now**!" he told him.

"You start out demanding human, but soon I'll make you beg," came the sneer. He waved his sword around and Jason ducked as the blade came dangerously close to him. In Angel Grove, Bulk and Skull had helped an occasional civilian to shelter and then got to safety themselves as the Rangers were busy fighting the monster with their separate zords since the monster had been made full size shortly after landing.

"Man, this thing is tough," the Purple Ranger grunted as she and the others were knocked down.

"Where's Jason?" the White Ranger wondered. "We could really use him," he added.

"Yeah, I know," the Pink Ranger agreed.

"Rangers, I'm sending in the Tyrannosaurus-Red Dragon Thunderzord to assist you," Alpha told tem.

"Thanks, Alpha," the White Ranger responded. The zord arrived shortly, and they formed the Thunder Megazord.

"No! They're going to destroy him!" Rita screeched.

"Well, what do you want **me** to do about it? It was your underling who created it," Zedd pointed out. _Finster's monsters never work. Why did I think this one would?_ he wondered. The Thunder Saber destroyed the monster. Unseen by the other Rangers, Katherine landed by a tree. In the dungeon, Jason gave a roundhouse to Goldar and grabbed his Morpher and communicator.

"See ya, Goldie," he smirked, and then teleported out before the monster could stop him.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! Jason!" Alpha exclaimed, as he landed beside the others.

"Whoa. Head rush," he moaned, and the others quickly steadied him.

"Thank goodness you're back," Trini stated.

"Hey, you're not lookin' so good, man," Rocky noted.

"Zedd got me with his staff. I was supposed to be the bargaining chip for something," Jason responded.

"Yeah, the scanners detected that they were looking for something, though we're not sure what," Billy said.

"Katherine. Has anyone found her yet?" Jason wondered.

"She appeared in the park moments ago," Zordon replied.

"Come on," Jason determined.

"Are you okay to teleport?" Adam checked.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," Jason responded. They did so.

"Katherine!" Jason shouted.

"Jason, thank goodness! I had no idea where I was, and there were these monsters and-" Katherine said as the others ran up.

"Well, you're safe now," Jason assured, helping her up.

"Yeah, we're so glad you're okay," Kimberly told her.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Kat. I was worried," Jason confessed.

"Me too," Kat admitted. As they walked, no one noticed the smug smile on her face. **The plan is working wonderfully, Empress**, she commented. Soon, the Rangers would fall and Lord Zedd and Empress Rita would finally rule the Earth.


	4. The Stolen Power Pt 1

DISCLAIMER

Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the subplot.

A few days later, Jason, Zack, Trini, Kimberly, Billy, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Justin, Hilary, Chris, Tina, Zane, Angela, Richie, Bulk, Skull, Curtis, and Katherine were walking through Angel Grove Park.

"So, Kat, with all of the excitement of the last few days, we never really got to really welcome you," Jason commented.

"Oh, thanks. Everyone's been real friendly," Katherine answered.

"So, what made your parents decide to move here?" Kimberly wondered.

"Dad got a job transfer and we all packed up," Katherine answered.

"Well, we're certainly glad you did," Jason grinned. The others looked at each other and snickered. Jason turned and glared at them, then turned back to Katherine who seemed to be oblivious to what was going on.

"Well, at least you moved here during the break and you can get properly acclimated being starting Angel Grove High," Rocky stated.

"I suppose that's true," Katherine grinned. They continued to talk, unaware that they had an audience.

"Yes, this is going exactly according to my plan. Katherine's doing her job perfectly," Rita grinned.

"That's good, I suppose. I just hope Goldar's task is faring better than it did the last time," Zedd grumped.

"Not to worry, my wicked husband. Once Katherine completes her mission and we find what we're looking for, those Rangers will be too surprised and betrayed to even fight back," Rita cackled. _And then I can have Goldar and Scorpina destroy you_, she thought. Back on Earth, the Rangers, their friends, and Katherine were discussing what to do.

"Hey, what do you say we go to the beach later?" Aisha suggested.

"Hey, yeah. We haven't gone swimming for a while," Rocky agreed.

"Yeah, that sounds fun," Adam said. "How about it, Kat?" he questioned.

"Oh, no thanks. I'm not really a big fan of the water," she answered.

"Well, we don't have to swim. We can just hang on the beach," Jason told her.

"Okay. Yeah, that sounds fun," Katherine replied with a grin. They continued on. Later that day, the gang went to the beach. Katherine sat on a beach towel as she watched the others. Kimberly walked up.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us for a swim?" she queried.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be fine right here. Like I said, I'm not a big fan of the water," was her answer.

"All right." Kim was about to say more when Tommy ran up, swept her off of her feet, and ran towards the water.

"Tommy Oliver! Don't you dare!" Katherine laughed at the screech that was followed by a splash. The boys cornered the rest of their female friends who ran away from them. As this was going on, Katherine watched them. Once she was sure that they were preoccupied, she went over to where the group had left their bags and started poking around in one. Hearing a cry of laughter, she turned to see Trini on Jason's back as he staggered in the water, trying to walk. Her eyes flashed an orange-ish red. She abandoned the bag she had originally chosen and went to another. When she found what she was looking for, she smirked. In her hands was the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin. Then, she disappeared. Presently, the others came up.

"Man, that felt good," Jason sighed happily.

"Yes, it was quite invigorating," Billy agreed. Jason put his towel back in his bag. Then, his eyes furrowed, and he started pawing through his possessions frantically.

"Jason? What is it? What's wrong?" Rocky asked.

"My Power Coin-it's gone," Jason responded.

"What?" the others gasped. Then, he groaned.

"Jason," Trini said in concern.

"I don't-I don't feel so good," Jason murmured and dropped to a knee.

"JASON!" The others surrounded him, and after making sure it was clear, the Rangers teleported.

"Zordon, what's going on?" Tommy asked as their leader was placed on the Command Center's medical chair.

"Yeah, what's wrong with Jason?" Adam wondered.

"His body is reacting to the separation of him and his Power Coin," Zordon answered.

"You mean they're connected?" Adam asked.

"Yes. When each of you first started, the connection was barely there, but the longer you serve as a Ranger, the stronger the connection grows," Alpha explained.

"So, how do we get his coin back?" Zack wondered.

"Well, we need to figure out who took the coin in the first place," Billy responded.

"Guys, I hate to even think it, but what if it was Kat?" Kimberly wondered. "I mean, she was the only one near our bags while we swimming and everything," she continued.

"Kim, how can you even suggest that?" Aisha objected.

"Yeah, she's our friend. She wouldn't do that," Adam agreed.

"Guys, it **is** possible. I mean, what if she's under a spell?" Jason said.

"Aw, man. I hope not," Tommy said. He knew all too well what that felt like-being trapped inside your own body and not being able to stop yourself from doing horrible things.

"So, if she **is** under a spell, how do we save her?" Aisha wondered. Meanwhile, in a cave on a distant planet, Goldar had found what he had been sent to find. With a roar of triumph, he grabbed a small gold coin and then teleported himself back to the Lunar Palace.

"Welcome back, Goldar," Scorpina grinned, placing a hand on his wrist.

"Goldar, you're finally back. Tell me you have good news," Zedd demanded.

"Empress Rita, I have it," Goldar reported.

"You found it? You really found it?" Rita asked.

"Yes, I have the coin," Goldar told them.

"Found what? Found what? What'd you find, Goldie?" Rita's brother, Rito Revolto, asked. Goldar held the coin out to Rita who grabbed it excitedly.

"Finally, after a millennia of searching-the lost Raptor Coin," she breathed.


	5. The Stolen Power Pt 2

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the subplot. I changed Kat's memory so the flashback's mine as well.

Rita cackled as she held the Raptor Power Coin in her hands. _This is too perfect. Zedd and those Power brats are finally going to fall!_ She thought to herself. She turned to Katherine.

"Great job with the Power Coin by the way. You're such an evil girl," she complimented. The words echoed.

"_**Here you go. I think that's all of it," a young Katherine said, handing the man the last of the letters that had fallen.**_

"_**Thank you. You're such a good girl," the man told her. The words echoed.**_

"Evil girl. Evil girl!" Rita was crowing.

"No! I'm not evil! I'm good!" Katherine protested. Rita growled.

"You're evil as long as I say you're evil!" Energy flowed from her staff and enveloped the girl.

"Evil. Yes, I **am** evil," Katherine agreed.

"Humph. Now that's more like it," Rita approved. _Good grief. Tommy was never this much trouble_, she thought to herself. Back in the Command Center, Jason was finally sitting up.

"How you feeling?" Kimberly asked softly.

"Like I'm gonna hurl," Jason responded. "Man Bro, is this how you felt when the Green Ranger Powers were being drained from you?" he wondered.

"Pretty much, yeah," Tommy replied. "Zordon, is it possible for you to give him a recharge like you used to do for me?" he asked.

"That may prove to be a temporary solution, but eventually, Jason **must** be reunited with his Power Coin," Zordon answered.

"Right," the others said.

"Hang in there, Jason. We'll get your coin back…somehow," Rocky assured.

"Yeah, man. We'll show Rita and Zedd that you can't mess with the Power Rangers," Zack added.

"Thanks, guys," Jason said.

"Ai-yi-y-yi-yi-yi! I don't believe it!" Alpha suddenly exclaimed.

"Alpha, what is it?" Trini wondered.

"I don't believe it! It can't be! The coin's been missing for several millenniums!" Alpha stated.

"What coin?" the Rangers questioned.

"The Raptor Power Coin," Zordon replied.

"But Zordon, I thought you said that the Drago, Stega, and Brachio Power Coins were the last of the Power Coins," Jason said in confusion.

"They are. The Raptor Coin was created long before the Dragonzord, Mastodon, Pterodactyl, Triceratops, Saber-toothed Tiger, and Tyrannosaurus coins. However, it was misplaced before the war," Zordon responded.

"But now someone **has** found it," Zack said.

"Yeah, and with our luck, that someone is Zedd and Rita," Adam griped.

"We should go," Jason declared.

"What?" the others asked.

"Even though we're not in school right now, if we're gone most of the day, our parents will get worried," Jason stated. The other Rangers sighed and rolled their eyes, but they all agreed. Then, Alpha teleported them back to Angel Grove and the Rangers went home. In his room, Jason paced back and forth. Presently, his door opened to reveal his father.

"Jason, I noticed you seemed kind of preoccupied when you came home. Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Dad. Everything's fine," the Red Ranger lied.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Satisfied, the man left. _Oh, man! What do I do? I've gotta get my Power Coin back! How the heck did Tommy deal with this?_ Jason wondered, running his fingers through his hair. He hadn't said anything in the Command Center, but he was petrified. What if they never got his Power Coin back? What if his powers faded just like Tommy's had? _It would serve me right. I had a chance to get the candle and I blew it_, he thought to himself. And then there was the issue of Kat. Was she really the one who had taken his coin? And if so, how long had she been under Rita and Zedd's power? _Man, I don't know what to do. What do I do?_ Jason wondered. Then, he finally sat on his bed, hugged his knees to his chest, and then sobbed out his fear and worry.


	6. The New Power Pt 1

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the Raptor Power Coin subplot.

The next day, Jason was at Ernie's doing a kata by himself while the other Rangers and their friends watched in concern as he continually messed up the routine he had done a hundred times before.

"So, what was the official story for his absence?" Angela asked.

"He got kidnapped by Zedd and Rita, and was poisoned. Lt. Stone told him to take a few days off to make sure he's up to full strength," Tommy answered. They looked at him again.

"Wow. He's really worried," Kimberly noted.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him like this since Tommy lost his Green Ranger powers," Zack added.

"Should we go talk to him or leave him alone?" Rocky wondered.

"I got him," Tommy responded, and then headed for their leader.

"Hey, how you holdin' up?" he asked.

"I'm good. I'm good," came the quick answer.

"Yeah, that's why you've been messin' up your kata for the last half hour," his friend retorted. Jason sighed.

"Bro, I'm fine. I swear," he insisted.

"Jason," he said warningly.

"What do you want me to say, Bro? That I'm freaked out! That I'm scared out of my mind of never being reunited with my coin? Of dying?" he hissed.

"You are **not** going to die. We won't let you," his friend assured.

"Tommy, I don't know what to do, man. How can I lead like this?"

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it, man. We got your back." Jason flashed Tommy a weak grin. "Hey, come on, Bro. Spar with me." Immediately, the two fell into a routine.

"Wow. Do you think he'll be okay?" Kimberly wondered.

"He's probably freaking out but trying to stay strong for us," Zack surmised.

"Yeah. It can't be easy for him, being the leader and everything," Adam agreed.

"He knows we've got his back, right?" Aisha questioned.

"Of course he knows," Trini replied. Just then, their communicators went off. Everyone froze and then went into a secluded corner.

"We read you, Zordon," Jason said.

"Rita and Zedd have sent a monster to downtown Angel Grove," Zordon told them.

"We're on it," Jason said. "You guys go, I'll meet you there," he instructed.

"Right." Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Zack, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha morphed and teleported to the park, while Jason teleported to the Command Center, where Zordon gave him some of his energy and then met up with the other Rangers. The monster kicked and punched the Rangers, knocking them to the ground.

"Man, this guy is tough," the Purple Ranger groaned.

"Keep it together, guys. We can do this," the Black Ranger encouraged. The Rangers struggled to their feet.

"What's the matter, Rangers? Can't take the heat?" the monster taunted.

"We're not afraid of you!" the Red Ranger shouted.

"Oh, you're not, eh? Well. maybe **this** will change your tune," Zedd said. With that, he and Rita used their staffs to make the monster grow.

"Tigerzord!"

"Drago Thunderzord Power!"

"Stega Thunderzord Power!"

"Brachio Thunderzord Power!"

"Mastodon-Lion Thunderzord Power!"

"Pterodactyl-Firebird Thunderzord Power!"

"Triceratops-Unicorn Thunderzord Power!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger-Griffin Thunderzord Power!"

"Tyrannosaurus-Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!" The Rangers jumped into their zords and immediately brought them together to form the Thundermegazord. There was a short battle before the monster was destroyed. They went back to the Command Center.

"Excellent work, Rangers. And Alpha has decreased Jason's connection with his coin enough so that it no longer affects his life force," Zordon told them.

"Thanks, Alpha," Jason said, giving the robot a hug.

"It was my pleasure, Jason," Alpha responded, returning the gesture.

"However, I would advise you to take it easy when going about your normal routines," Zordon told him.

"Of course, Zordon," Jason agreed.

"Zeddy! They destroyed the monster!" Rita whined.

"Oh, quit whining. All is not lost. We still have the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin plus the Raptor Coin," Zedd assured her. Then, "Speaking of which, Katherine. Stand before me." The girl did as she was told.

"You are to use this coin to morph into the Brown Raptor Ranger. Then you will go to Angel Grove and destroy it."

"As you command, Lord Zedd." Rita handed Katherine the coin. The girl closed her eyes and concentrated. A brown mist covered her, much like the mist that had covered Tommy when he had first morphed under Rita's power. The coin shown a brilliant brown and then-Katherine stayed in her un-morphed state.

"WHAT?" Rita screeched.

"I'm sorry, Empress. I don't understand what's going on. Let me try again," Katherine pleaded. She repeated her actions, only to get the same results. "I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" she complained.

"There must be some sort of spell on it or something," Zedd fumed. Rita let out a huff as she took back the coin.

"Well, that's just great! We have all of this power at our fingertips and we can't even use it!"

"What should I do, Empress?" Katherine asked.

"Go play good little girl until we can figure out what to do about the coin."

"As you wish." Katherine left the moon palace and landed a few feet away from the youth center. Then, she walked in and walked up to the youth center's counter.

"Hey, uh, Ernie, right?"

"Yeah."

"Have you seen Jason?"

"No, I haven't." The girl let her face fall and she turned away. Then, she walked to a table and sat down. Minutes later, she noticed the Rangers coming in. _I'm surprised they're letting Jason out like this_, she thought to herself as she noticed his pale appearance. They couldn't be that good of friends to him if they let walk around like this after a battle. Especially since he shouldn't have been in that battle in the first place. She smirked. This was going to be fun. She got up and walked over to them.

"Hi, guys," she chirped.

"Hey, Kat," they greeted.

"Jason, are you all right? You don't look very well," Katherine noted.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just been working out harder than usual," Jason responded. They continued to talk and as they did so, Katherine employed coy tactics such as twirling her hair. Then, Jason went to the mats with Tommy close at his heels and they started another one of their katas.

"Wow. He's really dedicated," she commented.

"Uh…yeah, he is," Aisha said distractedly. She and the others watched for several minutes. A couple of hours later, everyone began walking out.

"Yo Jase, you comin'? Let's go, man!" Zack called. The two flashed a grin at each other as if sharing a secret.

"Nah, I'm gonna stay here. I've been workin' on a new move and I wanna get it right," Jason responded.

"You want me to stay, man?" Tommy offered.

"No Bro, it's all right. You guys go on," Jason told him.

"You sure?"

"I'll be fine. Go." Reluctantly, the others did so. However, Katherine stayed in the halls. This was gonna be good. The Red Ranger would soon be going down. Inside, Jason began an intricate kata. He laid a foot on the balance beam, and used the bar as leverage to flip backwards. He stumbled. _Hey! Whoa! Zordon told you to take it easy_, he reminded himself. He took a breath to steady himself and continued the kata, moving somewhat slower. Katherine was in the halls, pacing. Suddenly, she was hit with a memory. _**She walked to the edge of the diving board as the announcer spoke. She dove off. As things went black, she heard the shocked gasps of the crowd.**_

"Oh, no, what have I done?" she asked herself. Meanwhile, Jason had climbed onto the balance beam and was using it to monitor his balance and posture as he performed his kata. He did a spinning kick. As he landed, he saw the room start to spin. _Oh, this isn't good_, he thought to himself. On the moon, Rita watched through her telescope as Katherine ran into the youth center.

"Oh, great. It looks like the cat is out of the bag," she complained.

"Finster, how did she break the spell?" Zedd wondered.

"Her friendship with the Rangers and her attempt to help Jason must've done it," Finster responded.

"Oh, well. Nothing lasts forever," Rita shrugged. Katherine ran into youth center to see Jason struggling to keep his footing on the balance beam.

"JASON!" she shouted. He fell backwards and landed on the mats with a loud thump. She ran towards him and fell to her knees.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."


	7. The New Power Pt 2

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the Raptor Coin subplot. I've seen some other fics in which the Rangers called each other by their Dino names and I've always wanted to use it, but no infringement is intended. The beginning part of this is similar to "A Different Shade Of Pink Pt 2".

A gurney was raced through the halls as doctors and nurses chattered. Jason moaned. _Why is everything spinning?_ he wondered.

"Blood pressure dropping. This is his friend. She saw what happened," he heard a nurse say.

"He was working on a kata and I guess he decided to use the balance beam for posture or something and he fell and he hit his head really hard," he heard Katherine report. _Kat? What's she doing here?_ he wondered.

"It's a good thing you were there. He's a really lucky kid," the doctor commented.

"Actually, it was all my fault. Is he gonna be okay?" she wondered.

"We don't know. You'll have to wait out in the waiting room." Katherine did as she was told. In the waiting room, the Rangers, their friends, Lt. Stone, and Jason's parents sat nervously.

"Man, I hope Jason's okay," Rocky said.

"He's strong. He'll be okay," Tommy assured.

"How's Kat doing?" Zack wondered. The others followed his gaze to look at the girl who sitting in one of the chairs on the other side of the room.

"She's takin' it pretty hard," Trini responded.

"I don't get it though. How'd she get there? I mean, she went home at the same time we did," Kimberly said.

"I'm just glad she was there," Aisha stated.

"Yeah. Me too," Tommy agreed. A doctor came out and everyone stood up.

"How is he?" Mr. Scott questioned.

"He hit his head pretty hard. He's unconscious right now, but he should be waking up pretty soon," he told them.

"Oh, thank goodness," Katherine sighed in relief. _I'm so glad he's all right. I can't believe I led him to getting hurt_, she thought to herself.

"Um, can-can we see him anyway? I just have to see if he's okay," Kimberly requested.

"Of course," the doctor responded. Kimberly walked in and sat in a chair next to the bed.

"Hey, Rex. It's Ptera. We're all here," she said, taking his hand. "Hey, you gotta wake up. For us?" Kimberly cleared her throat, trying to choke back a sob. Then, "Hey, you remember the last time we were both in here? 2nd grade." She gave a short laugh. "We were pretending to be pro football players in your backyard and things were going great until I tripped over your sprinkler system, and when I grabbed onto you to break my fall, you and I both fell on Zack, Trini, and Billy." Jason moaned and his eyes fluttered open.

"I ended up breaking my wrist," he rasped, turning towards her.

"Jase!" she exclaimed with a relieved gasp.

"Hey, Ptera," he greeted.

"Oh, you had me so worried," she said, hugging him. Then, she smacked his shoulder.

"Ow! The heck?" he asked.

"Don't you scare me like that, Jason Lee Scott! You were told to take it easy!" she scolded.

"Ooooh. Full name from the Kimster. **That**'**s** never good," a voice laughed. Kim turned to see Zack and the others in the hallway.

"Hey, guys," Jason greeted.

"Hey. We're glad you're okay. You had us scared, man," Tommy told him as he and the others except for Katherine walked up.

"Yeah. I **thought** I told you to take it easy," Lt. Stone

"Sorry," Jason apologized.

"We're glad you're okay, man," Bulk stated.

"Well, okay-ish," Skull added.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, Lt., you mind if I talk to my friends alone?" Jason requested.

"Sure, that'd be fine," Mr. Scott agreed, and they and the Lieutenant walked out.

"Man, this has gotta be the worst thing that Rita and Zedd have ever done," Zack said softly.

"Where's Kat?" Jason wondered.

"In the hallway. She's been taking this pretty hard. I even heard her muttering how this was all her fault," Adam answered.

"But why would she be blaming herself?" Angela wondered.

"Yeah, she's the one who got you here in time," Richie added.

"It must've been one of Rita and Zedd's spells," Jason determined.

"Aw, man. If that's the case, she's probably really freaking out," Tommy said.

"Yeah," Jason agreed.

"So, what do we do?" Curtis asked. Before anyone could respond, Tommy's communicator went off.

"This is Tommy," he said.

"First of all, Jason, let me say that I'm relieved to see that you're all right," Zordon stated.

"Thanks, Zordon," Jason said with a soft smile.

"Secondly, Zedd and Rita have just sent down another monster to downtown Angel Grove," their mentor continued. Jason began to get out of the bed. "Not so fast, Jason. You are to stay where you are," he continued, as the others gently pushed him back into the bed.

"I guess he knows me better than I thought," he said with a sheepish grin. Then, "Well, you guys heard Zordon. Go to it." Zack closed the door and the other Rangers morphed and teleported out of the room. Almost immediately, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said.

"Hi, Jason," Katherine greeted nervously.

"Hey," he said, sitting up. "So I understand you're the one who found me," he continued.

"Yes," she confirmed.

"I'm not sure I'm understanding you here. I mean, you left when the others did," he stated.

"Jason, I have something to tell you that may be hard to believe and I hope that you and the others still want to be my friend after this," she said hesitantly.

"Kat, what are you talking about?" he wondered. _Were we right? Was it a spell?_ he thought.

"I'm afraid I'm responsible for you being in here," she confessed. He sighed.

"So, we were right. You were under a spell," he stated.

"You-knew?" she asked in surprise.

"We got suspicious right after my Power Coin was stolen," he responded.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"It wasn't your fault. It was Rita and Zedd's," he told her.

"I'll, um-I'll understand if you want me out of your life," she said.

"That'd be pretty hypocritical of him given that he accepted me right away," a new voice stated. They turned to their heads to see Tommy, the other Rangers, and their friends coming in.

"That was a quick battle," Jason commented.

"Ah, it wasn't really one of their best monsters. I think Rita just got bored," Tommy responded. They laughed.

"Anyway, Tommy's right. We all accepted Tommy right away after his spell was broken and now that you're back to normal, there's no way you can get rid of us," Kimberly told her.

"Yeah, you're stuck with us," Zack added. Just then, the nurse came back in.

"Okay, everybody out. He needs his rest," she announced. They all groaned, but did as they were told. Jason laid back down. What were they going to do? They had to make sure Zedd and Rita didn't get their hands on Katherine again. His eyes clouded with worry.


	8. The New Power Pt 3

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the Raptor Power Coin plot.

The next day, the Rangers and Katherine were driving to the hospital in Rocky's jeep, which would normally seat only about four or five, but somehow, they were sitting in the vehicle comfortably.

"Rocky, I can't believe you managed to get everyone to fit in here," Katherine said.

"And comfortably no less," Zack agreed.

"It's a DeSantos trick," Rocky responded.

"Think you could teach the rest of us?" Tommy requested.

"You kidding? He won't even teach **us**," Aisha answered.

"I can't. Dad made me promise," Rocky stated. Aisha reached up and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey, whoa! Driving here!" he complained. Katherine just laughed and shook her head. Then, "How do you think Jason's doing?"

"I'm sure he's all right," Billy assured.

"Yeah, Rex is strong," Kimberly agreed. In another car, Richie, Angela, Bulk, Skull, Justin, Hilary, Zane, Tina, and Chris were also discussing their friend.

"I really hope he's doing better," Angela said.

"I'm sure he is," Justin assured.

"Yeah girl, Jason's tough," Curtis added. They continued talking and after a few minutes, arrived at their destination.

"All right, let's go visit a leader," Rocky determined.

"Yeah, let's see if we can cheer him up," Zack added.

"He's probably driving the doctors and nurses **totally** crazy. He hates being cooped up," Kimberly commented.

"Yeah, remember when he got grounded for sneaking into the movies?" Trini recalled.

"Oh, yeah. A particularly tedious time for him," Billy mused. The originals laughed at the memory. They were about to go in when a monster that looked like a trashcan and a group of Putties appeared.

"WHOA!" Immediately, the Rangers made a circle around Katherine while the others got into stances of defense.

"Kat, just stay inside the circle," Kimberly instructed.

"Right," she agreed.

"Relax, Rangers. All I want is the girl," the monster told them.

"Well, forget it. You're not getting her," Adam told him.

"Putties, get them!" The creatures rushed the group and they all kicked and punched them. Justin and Zane teamed up to take on a batch of the clay creatures.

"Whoo. These guys are tougher than normal," Aisha groaned.

"Zedd must've re-energized them," Adam deduced. From inside the circle, Katherine nervously watched as her friends fought. _I won't go back! I won't!_ she thought. Just then, the monster lifted up its lid and shot a beam at them. The group cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Katherine struggled as the monster grabbed her.

"Kat!" the others cried. They tried to grab her back, but the monster teleported to the other side of the street. The Rangers scrambled to their feet.

"Say good-bye to your little friend, Rangers. You're never going to see her again," the monster cackled.

"Let me go, you dumpster reject," Katherine said, struggling against the thing's hold.

"Now, now. Be a good little human. Rita and Zedd won't hurt you. They just want to talk to you," the monster said. Then, before the Rangers could move, the aliens disappeared.

"No! Kat!" Everyone scrambled to their feet.

"Oh, man. Not good," Tommy sighed, running his fingers through his hair.


	9. The New Power Pt 4

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Haim Saban and Nickelodeon. I only own the Power Coin subplot. I use some situations and lines from "A Different Shade Of Pink Pt 3". I mention the side effect I gave Tommy in "Remnants Of Green".

Kat continued to struggle against the monster as they landed in some type of netherworld.

"Let me go, you freak!" she shouted.

"As you wish," the monster cackled and she was thrown into a section of the cave. Katherine lunged forward, but bars automatically appeared, blocking her escape. _Oooh! When I get out of here, they are going to be sorry!_ she thought to herself. There were two flashes of light and two of Rita and Zedd's henchmen appeared.

"Goldar and Scorpina," Katherine whispered. The monsters growled and walked up to her.

"Welcome to the Dark Dimension, Katherine," he greeted. "So how does it feel to know that you're about to be destroyed for your insolence?"

"I don't care what you say. I'm not afraid of you," Katherine retorted.

"Oh, no?" he sneered, raising his sword to the bars.

"Of course not. My friends know you have me and they'll come for me," she stated.

"Why would they come for you when you were the one who caused all of their troubles?" she jeered.

"They know that wasn't my fault," she answered. They laughed.

"Sure. That's why they let you get taken."

"You're lying." Meanwhile, Trini, Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were in the Command Center.

"I can't believe this is happening. What if they try to regain control of her?" Kimberly wondered.

"Don't worry, Kim. We'll get her out of there," Tommy assured. Before anyone could say anything else, there was a flash of red.

"Jason, what are you doing here?" Rocky asked in surprise.

"The doctors finally released me," Jason responded. Then, "What's going on?"

"Bad news, Bro. One of Rita and Zedd's monsters took Kat," Zack answered.

"What?" Jason questioned. "Oh, man. She must be freaking out," he said, rubbing his neck nervously.

"What do you think Rita and Zedd have planned for her?" Adam wondered.

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it can't be good," Jason responded.

"There's **gotta** be something we can do," Aisha declared. Back in the Dark Dimension, Goldar and Scorpina had finally stopped taunting Katherine and were now talking with Rito, Baboo, and Squatt while Katherine continually tried to get the keys to her cage. _Oh, come on!_ she thought to herself. She just **had** to get those keys! Finally, the creatures were done conversing and Rito was left to guard her. He sat in front of her, moaned, and rubbed his neck, complaining of soreness. _How can he have a sore neck? He's a pile of bones_, she thought to herself.

"Um, I have a way to get rid of the pain," she told him. He arched back, allowing her to rub his shoulders. _Uck. Totally disgusting_, she thought to herself. She could just imagine what Kimberly would say about this: "Oh, gross". She grinned to herself, hearing her friend's voice in her head.

"Um, what's in the box?" she questioned after a while.

"The Tyrannosaurus and Raptor Power Coins," Rito told her.

"Really?" she queried. _Now I've __**really**__ got to get out of here_, she thought. Jason needed his Power Coin back and she knew things would get bad if Zedd and Rita figured out how to make the Raptor Coin work. She continued massaging Rito's neck until he fell asleep. _Yes!_ she thought to herself.

"Yech," she whispered as she grabbed the keys. Once she was free, she immediately went to the box opened it, and picked up the two coins. There was a surge from the Raptor Coin.

"What on Earth?" she wondered.

"Well, Katherine, my dear-what are you doing?" Rita shrieked.

"I'm taking these coins back," Katherine replied.

"Hand them over," Rita demanded.

"Not a chance, Rita. I've had enough of your nonsense," Katherine told her.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha exclaimed.

"Alpha, what is it?" Jason asked.

"The Tyrannosaurus Power Coin is in the hands of good again, and the Raptor Power Coin just let out an energy surge," Alpha reported.

"Is it possible? Could Kat have the coins?" Adam wondered. In the Dark Dimension, Katherine tried to move past Rita, but the witch kept blocking her.

"I said, 'Hand them over'!" she shrieked.

"And I said, 'Forget it'," the girl smirked.

"Alpha, can you teleport her?" Rocky asked.

"Affirmative. I'm locking on now," Alpha answered.

"Oh, hold on, Kat," Kimberly whispered as she and the others instinctively crossed their fingers. Rita lunged towards Katherine, who disappeared in a stream of brown light. Within seconds, she was in the Command Center.

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm alive," she sighed in relief. Then, looking around, "This place is amazing. What is it?"

"You are in the Command Center, Katherine. I am very pleased that you are all right," Zordon answered. The girl stammered in confusion.

"That's Zordon. He's an inter-dimensional being caught in a time warp," Trini explained.

"Ah," Katherine said. "Oh, Jason, I believe this is yours," she continued, handing him his coin.

"My Power Coin," Jason grinned, relishing the cool feel of the gold coin. "How'd you get them?" he wondered.

"Let's just say I was in the right place at the right time," Katherine grinned. Just then, the Raptor Coin glowed deep shade of brown.

"What's going on? It wasn't doing this before," she said in confusion.

"I think…it's chosen you," Kimberly commented.

"But I couldn't turn into a Ranger when Zedd and Rita wanted me to," Katherine objected.

"Perhaps the coin was protecting you," Billy surmised.

"You are correct, Billy," Zordon responded.

"Now how come the Dragonzord Coin couldn't have done that?" Tommy griped.

"Seriously," Jason agreed.

"Well, I'm sure this is par for the course for you, but I've had enough excitement for the day, and I'd really like to go home," Katherine commented.

"Of course," the others agreed. With that, they teleported to Angel Grove and began walking. Suddenly, the trashcan monster appeared!

"Oh, no! Not this overgrown trash heap again!" Katherine exclaimed. The monster grabbed her.

"You're coming with me, and this time, you won't escape," it growled. Katherine grinned and then stomped on its foot. As the monster hopped up and down, roaring in pain, Katherine ran to her friends.

"All right, Kat," Tommy complimented.

"Atta, girl," Kimberly approved.

"Now then-" Jason began. Following his lead, the others pulled out their Morphers. "It's morphin' time!"

"Tigerzord!"  
"Raptor!"

"Drago!"

"Stega!"

"Brachio!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"  
"Triceratops!"

"Saber-toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!" Putties came at the Rangers, who made short work of them. The monster charged at them.

"All right, this calls for the Power Blaster!" the Red Ranger instructed.

"Power Ax!" The Black Ranger threw his ax into the air.

"Power Bow!" The Pink Ranger's bow connected with the ax.

"Power Lance!" The lance locked into place.

"Power Daggers!" The daggers took their place next to the lance.

"Power Sword!" The Red Ranger's sword finished the blaster.

"Fire!" A stream of light flew from the weapon and hit the monster, destroying him. The Rangers cheered. Minutes later, they were in the Command Center.

"That was amazing. I've never felt anything like it before," Katherine stated.

"Katherine, now that you are a Power Ranger, you must follow three simple rules or lose the protection of the Power," Zordon told her. The girl stood at attention. "First, never use your power for personal gain. Second, never escalate a battle unless Rita and Zedd force you. Finally, your identity must remain a secret. No one can know you are a Power Ranger."

"Of course, Zordon," she agreed.

"Welcome aboard," Kimberly grinned.

"Thanks," Katherine said.

"Hey, what about the spell Rita and Zedd had her under? Is it completely gone?" Zack checked.

"Unfortunately, a spell of that magnitude does not dissipate right away and there may be some lingering side affects," Zordon cautioned.

"Well, as long as I'm on the right team, I suppose that's all that matters, right?" Katherine queried.

"Exactly," Trini said.

"That's the spirit," Adam encouraged.

"Zordon, do you know what the side affects might be?" Jason asked.

"Unfortunately, no, Jason," Zordon replied. Katherine bit her lip nervously.

"Hey, relax, girl. It'll probably just like Tommy's side effect: eyes flashing a different color when you're mad," Zack assured.

'Oh, yes, Zack. Let's just bring that up," Tommy said, only partially annoyed. Zack started to respond, but stopped at Jason's warning glare. Then, Jason put his fist out. One-by-one, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Zack, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha piled their hands on top of Jason's fist. At first, Katherine hesitated, but after a friendly nudge from Kimberly, did the same.

"Power Rangers!" they all cried, jumping into the air.

THE END


End file.
